What is the Corwin Amendment?
Q: What is the Corwin Amendment?
A: The Corwin Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that was passed by Congress on March 2, 1861 and sent to the state legislatures for ratification.
Q: Who introduced it in the Senate?
A: Senator William H. Seward of New York introduced the amendment in the Senate.
Q: Who introduced it in the House of Representatives?
A: Representative Thomas Corwin of Ohio introduced it in the House of Representatives.
Q: What was its purpose?
A: Its purpose was to attract seceding states back into the Union and to convince border slave states to stay.
Q: How would it be ratified?
A: It would be ratified by state legislatures if approved by them.
Q: What would it protect if ratified?
A: If ratified, it would shield "domestic institutions" of each state (which included slavery at that time) from constitutional amendment process and from interference by Congress.
Q: Is this amendment still pending before any states today?
A: Yes, technically this amendment is still pending before any states today.
